Retribution
by Insane Author
Summary: L returns to pick his heirs up after their weekend of "Bonding Time," but it didn't turn out as he'd hoped. SEQUEL TO "POOR NEAR"


_**This is the sequel to "Poor Near" so if you haven't read that already, please go read it first and then return to this page!**_

**A/N:** I'm actually writing something other than my multi-chap fic, it's amazing! This was really fun to write, so I'm really excited about sharing it with you guys. I just need to point out a few things: This is placed in early April of 1998. Matt and Mello are both 8 and Near is 6, which makes L 18. Got that? I don't care if that doesn't fit with the actual series, because this is how I wanted to do it. Have fun!

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Death Note I'd be an old Japanese guy. I'm not Japanese, a man, or nearly that old, so I must not own Death Note, right?

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_**Retribution**_

When L went to pick his charges up after their weekend of "Bonding Time" he was not happy with the outcome. To be honest he actually wondered why he had chosen them sometimes. The deal he had made with Watari and Roger was that he had to be at Wammy's for at least three months of the year, and during that time he was to care for his heirs. Their argument was that the children needed to see him, otherwise they would end up like the first two. L couldn't argue with that.

The problem was that three children that young were hard for one person to care for on his own. Especially when said man was rather young himself, and terribly inexperienced with children. He knew that dumping them in a cottage by themselves had been a bad idea from the start, but he had hoped that they would learn to work together to take care of themselves.

When he arrived the first thing he spotted was Near, sitting outside and soaked to the bone. "What are you doing?" He asked the pajama-clad boy. "Why are you all wet?"

Near looked up at him with emotionless eyes. "It was raining." He replied, as if that answered everything.

L sighed. "They locked you out, didn't they?" It was a logical assumption, considering the child was still wet even though an intelligent person such as himself would normally know to change into dry clothes.

Near didn't respond, but L swore he could hear the boy sniff. "You're sick now, aren't you?" He asked, exasperated. Now he was going to have to find the doctor....

Suddenly the door swung open, though no one came out. L picked Near up, wet pajamas and all, and walked over to it. "Matt and Mello are in serious trouble." He intoned as he entered the small cottage. He heard little feet scurrying somewhere inside, but no one came to greet him. "If Near has pneumonia they are going to be grounded for months, and it will be longer if they do not show themselves right now."

There was a ruckus from one of the bedrooms, and Matt suddenly flew out and landed unceremoniously on the floor at L's feet. "That's one." L murmured, helping Matt stand. "Now where is Mello? He's not going to get any chocolate for a month if I do not see him in five seconds." He started to count, and as he neared five, an eight-year-old with chin-length blond hair came running out and managed to trip on the rug and fall on his face. L thought he heard Near giggle, but maybe that was a cough. The albino boy looked up at L briefly before burying his face in the young man's white shirt.

"Near?" L asked, an odd look on his face, "Is that a mustache?" Next to him Matt snickered.

Near shook his head slowly. "It's just marker."

L raised an eyebrow at him. "You drew on yourself?" He had already deduced what had happened, but he wanted to hear one of the boys tell him.

Near shook his head again and pointed in Mello's general direction. When he started gesturing that usually meant he was done talking, possibly for the day.

L sighed, realizing he needed to get Near out of his wet clothes. He shot Mello a look that meant "Explain" and went to find the six-year-old's suitcase. Two pairs of dejected feet followed him, just as he'd known they would. Mello started talking, but all L heard were excuses. Still, he listened as he got Near dried off, changed, and wrapped in a blanket. The poor child was shivering.

Finally, L turned to Mello and Matt. "I'm tired of excuses. I can forgive you for the marker and for hiding his puzzle, but Near is only six, even if he is very smart. You should not have locked him out of the cottage, especially for as long as you did. He could be very sick now, and it would be your fault."

Just as he said this, Near began to cough. Sighing, L went over to him. "We had better get you back to Wammy's so a doctor can see to you." Again he picked the boy up, and then he turned to Mello and Matt. "You are to get both your own things and Near's and bring them to the car. Do you understand?" He glared at them.

Both nodded meekly and ran to gather their things, rushing back into the room to pick up Near's things as well. L noticed with satisfaction that Near's favorite puzzle had been thrown back into his suitcase. Leaving them to their task, he carried his youngest heir to the car, sitting him in the front passenger seat and buckling him in. He gave the child some cough drops to suck on and turned to see how the other two were doing.

Mello and Matt each carried a suitcase, and they held another between them. L smiled in satisfaction and slid into the driver's seat, pressing the button to open the trunk for them. He heard the sound of three suitcases being put in side, and then the slam of the lid as they closed it. They shuffled over to the back doors of the car and climbed in, looking thoroughly unhappy.

L looked at them in the rear-view mirror as he pulled away from the cottage. "Now, have you learned your lesson, or shall I have to ground you once we get back to Wammy's?"

Matt and Mello looked up at him with wide eyes. "Please don't ground us!" They said in unison, seeming very upset at this prospect.

L considered it for a moment, and finally decided, "You are both confined to your bedrooms for the rest of the day—meaning Mello will be in _his own_ bedroom, and Matt will be in _his own_ bedroom—and tomorrow you do not get any desserts."

This was a lenient punishment as far as L went. He could have grounded them for a month, and taken away all their favorite things...now they just had to stay in their own bedrooms (L had clarified because they had used that loophole to play together while they were grounded before) and they didn't get any desserts the next day. They could handle that...couldn't they?

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Alright, well, I hope you liked it. It was just a fun little thing to do because I had some extra time and if don't write I'm going to start getting really depressed. Thanks for reading and please review!


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